TORPEDO BOAT DISASTER.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 September 1901, Page 3

TORPEDO BOAT DISASTER.

59 lives lost.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.]

London, September 20. The Cobra was a sister ship to the Viper, and’was just completed at Elswick "Works* She struck at-seven on Wednesday morning. The sea was terribly rough, and in a few minutes the vessel broke amidships. The whaleboat and dmghey were launched, and fifty crowded into them. The'whaleboat swamped, drowning all who W«>e in ik> '

The chief engineer of the Cobra, nine blue-jackets, and the two Messrs Parsons (the turbin fitters), who were in the dinghey, were picked up after battling ten hours in the waves. Besides a navigating party of 53, under Lieut. Hosworth Smith, there were a number of civilian workmen aboard, also the manager of the Parsons’ Turbine Works, and the engineering manager of the Elswork Works—a total of 71. It is feared that all are drowned excepting those in the dinghy. Lieut Smith stood on the bridge .with folded arms, and went down with the vessel.

At the last moment the chief engineer, who stood beside him, dived and was picked up. A sailor clinging to the dinghey, seeing that it was full, fell back into the water, saping, “Never mind, mates; no room for me,” and was drowned. It was two of Parsons’ turbine fitters, not the Messrs Parson, who were aboard the Cobra.